I've Got Plenty to be Thankful For
by Thunderbyrd
Summary: Shucksgiving is a time for families and friends to spend together, to be thankful for what they have. However, when Dendy and her parents are in a bit of a bind this year, K.O. must put together a plan to help out his close friend in ensuring that she'll have the best Shucksgiving dinner ever. *One-Shot* *Implied K.O./Dendy*


**HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY, EVERYBODY!**

**For this fic, it'll be based around Shucksgiving (the show's equivalent for Thanksgiving), with K.O. and Dendy taking the starring leads in this story, much like my last Kendy fic, "Big Mind, Big Heart". As usual, expect a bit of fluff between these two kids during the story. Additionally, Enid, Rad, Carol, Mr. Gar, and the other members of the main cast's families shall play big supporting roles within this story, too. ;)**

**Also, as a heads up, this'll be my last new OK K.O. story for 2019, not counting "Doppelgangers Among Us", which will continue progression in December.**

**OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes is owned by Ian Jones-Quartey and Cartoon Network. (I do not own any of its characters nor its properties. This is purely a non-profit fanfic made for fun).**

* * *

**I'VE GOT PLENTY TO BE THANKFUL FOR**

The holiday of Shucksgiving is a very special day for everyone all around Neutral Territory and beyond. It was a time where friends and family get together to have fun, eat good food, and be thankful for all the great things to happen in their lives, whether it was to be grateful to be alive or to be blessed by having such great friends and family members in their lives.

The heroes of Lakewood Plaza loved this holiday, indeed. They loved cherishing their time with their families and they loved gorging on plenty of delicious, good food to eat, too. It was truly a bountiful time to spend together with those that you love.

It was especially the case for young K.O. as well. He loved spending Shucksgiving with his beloved mother, Carol. Every year, they'd get together at their nice, little home in Lakewood after a hard day at work and they have a scrumptious turkey dinner together as mom and son. Carol, herself, adored spending such a quiet, tender evening with her loving son like this, as well as K.O. enjoying being with her mom on Shucksgiving Night (then again, K.O. just loved hanging with his mom in general, so eh, what're you gonna do?).

Plus, with his mom now officially dating his boss at the bodega, Mr. Eugene Gar, now he can spend this holiday with another member of his family! It was basically the best of both worlds!

Additionally, K.O.'s friends / coworkers / surrogate older siblings, Enid and Radicles, both enjoyed this holiday as well as they too spend this holiday with their own families, too, with Enid being with her spooky, but loving parents, Bernard and Wilhelmina (and her little brothers Icky and Boris, too), and with Rad being with his wacky, but well-meaning parents from Planet X, Ofrang and Theodosia. They both delighted in being with their own respective loved ones just as much as K.O. and his family did, too.

However, there was to be one certain family in Lakewood that would having some trouble in celebrating Shucksgiving this year...

* * *

Shucksgiving had landed on a certainly nippy day this year. The wind was chilly, light gray clouds hung in the sky, and the trees were stripped of their leaves for the upcoming winter months. In spite of this, Lakewood Plaza was still as busy as usual. People went around the various shops to buy things ranging from food, decorations, and other last-minute things for tonight to buying other things like early Christmas gifts and decorations for next month's holiday.

It was nearing the end of another work day at Gar's Bodega and Hero Supply. The crowds were slowly winding down for the day, as they all had to get home to spend tonight's holiday with their own families and friends, too. And with the Super Black Friday sales finally (and miraculously) done for the year, the trio of heroic bodega workers can soon start ready to clock out to spend Shucksgiving at their respective homes.

Enid had just finished checking up all the cash left inside the register where she usually worked behind, before she stretched her arms and groaned in satisfaction. "Welp, nearly closin' time!" she announced happily. Radicles was at one end of the store, having finished stacking and stocking away cans of various foodstuffs upon the stores shelves with his telekinesis powers. He grinned a wide grin upon hearing his friend's statement.

"Aww, yeah! Finally, we can get a chance to relax again!" he chortled, stacking the last can of beans on the tippy-top of the shelf before he bounded off to join up with Enid at the counter.

K.O., whom was busily sweeping up the floors, smiled up at his older friends with joy. "You guys already got your Shucksgiving plans all done?" he asked curiously with a sweet smile. Rad chuckled warmly.

"You know it, lil' dude!" he winked, "Just plannin' to have a nice little dinner with the fam' is all…Nothin' beats a fresh turkey meal while watching some Megafootball on the 'tube! Apparently, Planet X is going up against Planet Y this week in the championship." K.O. gasped in awe, his eyes wide with pure and child-like wonder.

"They got Megafootball on Planet X, too!?" he exclaimed, his body hunched over with shock. Radicles laughed proudly and crossed his arms smugly.

"Darn tootin', squirt!" he added, before he slowly began slipping into his usual boastful self as he normally does, "Of course, the Megafootball players back at home ain't as strong, fast, and godly as _moi_, of course…" he crooned, posing and flexing his broad and impressive muscles as if to prove his point.

K.O. gazed at his friend's Adonis-like form with glee and admiration, whereas Enid simply rolled her eyes with mild amusement.

"Heh, whatever you say, slick…" she chuckled, "Meanwhile, _I'll_ just be having a nice and peaceful Shucksgiving dinner with my own parents and brothers, thank you very much…" K.O.'s curiosity lit up like a lightbulb.

"Ooh, what'll you guys be having?" he asked. Enid shrugged lazily and smirked.

"Ah, y;know, the usual: cockroach casserole, toadstool soup, rotten sweet potatoes, spider venom sauce, moldy mac and cheese...the typical types of food that a spooky family always eats at Shucksgiving…" she listed off as casually as humanly possible.

Enid then raised a confused eyebrow as she then noticed the grossed-out and horrified looks etched across Rad and K.O.'s individual faces, upon hearing the odd-sounding and spooky-themed meals that she and her family plan on gorging on tonight. She then gave her friends a somewhat-annoyed frown.

"What? That stuff's not half bad once you actually try it!" she shot back defensively, "My dad can make some dang good toadstool soup like it was nobody's business!"

Unfortunately, K.O. and Radicles still weren't swayed by Enid's statement. Perchance food dishes like that were only suitable for Enid and her creepy family instead of them.

"Uh, I dunno, Enid...food like that isn't really suited for a guy like me, to be honest...no offense to your family's cooking, of course…" Rad reasoned lamely as best as he could. Enid shot the big guy an unamused frown.

"Well, how would you know if you don't like it if you never tried it?" she retorted, "Haven't you heard of the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover'?" Rad blushed heavily at that aspect, unsure of how to respond to that.

Noticing her friend's sweaty and nervous state, she then flashed him a challenging smirk. "Hmm, ah, well…" she sighed out with a shrug and a sneaky grin, "I suppose you're too _chicken_ to wanna try my family's spooky cooking anyways…"

Rad's eyes widened and his frown curled deeper into an insulted scowl. "Hey!" he barked out defensively, jabbing an accusing finger at the smug-faced Enid, "I ain't no chicken!"

His response fell upon deaf ears as Enid began twisting the knife harder by making chicken sounds while flapping her arms around like a chicken's wings. "BA-GAWK! BAWK-BAWK-BAWK-BAWK-BAWK!" she crowed out, clearly enjoying teasing Radicles to no end. K.O. giggled quietly to himself in the sidelines, amused by Enid's silliness.

Rad snorted indignantly, obviously wanting this derision and mockery to end. "Alright, alright! How about this!?" he shouted out, "Why don't we settle this with a bet, then? We have ourselves a little race. The first one to circle the block around the plaza and head straight back to the bodega wins. I win, you have to admit that I'm not a chicken. You win, I'll try whatever dish your parents make, whatever the occasion!"

Enid smirked and chuckled, giving Rad a challenging and willing stare. "Deal, but I'm tellin' ya, Rad. I got this race in the bag. I ain't got skinny legs like _you_ do, y'know…" she teased loftily. Rad rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, considering those thick legs of yours make your butt look kinda big, too…" he softly joked to himself with a quiet snicker. Unfortunately, his supposedly "light-hearted" comment was indeed overheard by Enid, as she marched up to Radicles and gave him such a threatening, hard glare that it made the alien teen shudder and lose his composure.

"What was that about my butt, _airhead?_" she sneered accusingly, her face beet red and her eyes wide with anger. Rad, overwhelmed by his friends' agitation, quickly decided to direct the attention away from Enid, as not to be given the stink-eye from her any longer.

"Uh, I mean, uhhh...s-say, uh, K.O.? What're you and your mom gonna for tonight, anyways?" he asked quickly, trying to avoid Enid's unimpressed glance as he blushed and sweated in embarrassment.

K.O. smiled brightly in excitement. "Same thing we always do, Rad! Me and Mommy would have dinner between the two of us. We'd pick out a nice, small turkey to share for dinner, and then we'd watch the annual Shucksgiving Parade in Battleburg on TV." he then sighed happily, "I always love spending this day with my Mommy...it's just so nice and peaceful to be with family during the holidays…"

Radicles chuckled warmly at K.O.'s dreamy face. "Heh-heh, ain't that the truth…" Even Enid slowly began to forget about being angry at Rad to smile back down at her little pal.

"Yeah, being with family is a nice thing…" she added with a soft smile, before she then shot another irate frown back towards Rad again, "So long as they aren't making fun of one's derriere." Poor Rad shyly looked away, twiddled his fingers, and subsided into uncharacteristically-meek silence. He only had himself to blame for making such a dumb comment.

But, before things could get even more awkward or heated, the trio jumped in surprise as a nearby door from inside the bodega swung open, revealing a certain high-leveled, muscle-bound hero that was indeed Rad, Enid, and K.O.'s boss.

"Alright, bodegamen!" boomed Mr. Gar as he stomped out of his office, "We've had another busy Super Black Friday to go through in the past week, but I'm proud to say that you three have valiantly pushed through to make sure our sales would still go through and that out plaza is safe from any villains. Outstanding work as usual, you three!"

The three employees stood at attention in a row, saluting Mr. Gar and giving him large, grateful smiles in return. "Thank you, Mr. Gar, sir!" they chorused. Mr. Gar nodded and beamed with pride.

"Excellent. Now, let's assure we all have a great and safe Shucksgiving evening, and we'll be back to work again the next day in preparation for the Christmas season." he added, fixing the sunglasses upon his face. K.O., meanwhile, was full of boundless curiosity.

"What'll you be doing for Shucksgiving, if I may ask, Mr. Gar, sir?" he asked, bouncing upon his feet with innocent joy. Mr. Gar chuckled and exhaled.

"Same as usual, young K.O.. I'll be at my home, keeping watch and making sure the plaza shall stay protected as it should be." he answered back with gusto. However, K.O. looked somewhat disappointed.

"Aww, really? I thought you'd want to relax on a day like today?" he mused in a sad tone, "Everyone deserves a bit of rest once in a while." Mr. Gar, understanding about what K.O. was meaning by, simply gave the boy a stoic, and yet fatherly gaze into his eyes.

"Maybe so, kiddo, but sometimes, a hero's work is never done, regardless of whether today's a special holiday or not." said Mr. Gar grandly and importantly.

K.O. deflated at the sound of this; Shucksgiving was a time to be with family and friends, not to be cooped up inside by yourself while trying to fend off any troublesome villains. Sure, Mr. Gar did live in a small home in the clouds right above Lakewood Plaza, he still felt that Mr. Gar shouldn't really spend Shucksgiving alone. But then again, it _was_ his choice to keep the plaza under a watchful eye after all, especially with the possible chance of being attacked by Lord Boxman or Professor Venomous again.

Before K.O. could say anything else, Mr. Gar grabbed his jacket and car keys, ready to head home for the night.

"Alright then, you all have a peaceful night, then. This plaza ain't gonna protect itself, you know." he stated, strolling off outside to head to his car in the parking lot. His employees waved him off, giving him well wishes for this holiday.

"Bye, Mr. Gar!"

"Happy Shucksgiving, boss!"

"Have a good one!"

Mr. Gar silently saluted the trio back as he hopped inside his vintage battle-clad muscle car, turning on the ignition before he drove the orange-painted vehicle straight into the sky and towards his home in a flash. As K.O., Rad, and Enid watched their boss soar off to his home, the young hero-in-training looked up at his watch and gasped in shock.

"Oh, shoot, I better go see Mommy! She'll be leaving from the Dojo soon!" he squeaked. He then quickly clocked himself out with the nearby time clock box on the wall and hastily got ready to head out himself in order to meet up with his mom.

"I'll see you guys later. Happy Shucksgiving!" he said as quickly as he could, ready to leave for his own respective home. Enid and Radicles bid him farewell as well with kind smiles.

"See ya, K.O.! Have a great Shucksgiving!" the two teens called out, waving goodbye to their friend. K.O. waved back as he exited the bodega.

"You too, guys! Love you!" he replied, until he rounded a corner and was soon out of sight. As soon as K.O., Enid and Rad quickly each punched out to ensure that their work day was completed, before they soon prepared themselves for their bet to commence.

"Alrighty...ya ready to lose this bet, chump?" Enid challenged slyly, cracking her neck and stretched her legs. Rad scoffed, not even bothering to stretch as he knew he was going to win this race, hands down (or so he thought).

"Pfft, as if! In case you didn't know, Enid. I'm one of the buffest heroes in Lakewood Plaza, Sure, yeah, I'm kinda top-heavy, but I'm still strong as heck, so I can still run circles around you with my bulging muscles, Little Miss Witch…" he boasted. Enid rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Your _ego_ is the only thing that's top-heavy…"

As the clock on the wall counted off the remaining seconds until closing time, Enid and Radicles took their stances at their "starting line", ready to get their impromptu race under way. Both teens grinned determinedly, each not willing to lose this race at any point. The clock ticked loudly, five seconds left until it was 5:00.

***TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK!***

***DING!*** went the clock, indicating that 5:00 has arrived.

And as soon as the clock had finally struck that exact time, the heroic teens roared out of the bodega, sending papers and items flying around inside the store from their combined velocity. Dust kicked everywhere, with car tire-like streaks imprinted on the store floors, courtesy of how fast Enid and Rad were going.

* * *

K.O. hummed merrily to himself as he strolled down the way towards the Fitness Dojo, the workplace of his mother Carol, blissfully unaware of Enid and Rad dashing and racing like mad hounds out from the bodega as part of their bet. As he neared the bus stop located close to the bodega, he sang a little song to himself with glee.

"_Gonna spend Shucksgiving with my Mommy. Gonna eat turkey and put it in my tummy. I don't know any other words that rhyme with "Mommy", so…_"

"Hello, K.O.."

K.O. snapped himself out of his thoughts from hearing a nasally, girlish voice pipe up from beside him. He looked to his right and saw a very familiar friend of his perched upon a bench all by herself. K.O. felt his heart flutter with joy upon seeing one of his closest, dearest friends on this very night.

"DENDY!" he cheered, arms a-spread and his grin as big as always.

Indeed, there sat Dendy, K.O.'s brainy and meek kappa friend from school, all by herself as she waited for her parents to arrive to pick her up for home. K.O. was so elated to see his dear friend that he hopped onto the bench and gave Dendy a tight, friendly hug on the spot.

"Happy Shucksgiving, Dendy!" he cheered, his widening smile fit to burst. Surprisingly, Dendy didn't seem to be in a huggy mood like her normally-affectionate friend usually was. She sighed pitifully within K.O.'s embrace, looking at the ground with sad eyes and a soft frown.

"Thank you, K.O., but I am afraid to correct you in saying that my Shucksgiving isn't going along as well as you'd think." sighed Dendy gloomily. K.O. felt himself let go of the hug in shock. He gazed at Dendy dumbfoundedly.

"You aren't!?" he gasped out, his heart breaking into two from hearing such blasphemy. "Wh-What on Earth happened?" Dendy hung her head low in misery.

"Ohh, my mother and father can't afford to have a nice Shucksgiving dinner tonight. My father hadn't managed to get his Shucksgiving bonus at work this year, so we kind of have to try and save up on more money this time around…" she explained mournfully. K.O. looked abashed at the sound of this. He wrapped a comforting arm around Dendy's slumped shoulders.

"Aww, Dendy, I'm so sorry. That sounds terrible…" he sympathized in a sad tone. Dendy let out another sigh.

"It is." she agreed solemnly, "Me and my family always enjoy having a nice and plentiful dinner during Shucksgiving. It's normally a perfect time where we'd bond together as family should…" K.O. raised a curious eyebrow.

"Well…y'know, Dendy...Shucksgiving isn't really about eating food, it's really about spending time with those you love. At least you and your parents still have each other, right? To be thankful for what you have." sympathized K.O., hoping to spark a bit of hope back into Dendy's heart again. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to help as Dendy sighed sadly again.

"I know, K.O., and you're right, but...well, my parents and I always have a nice dinner together for this holiday. It's basically tradition." explained Dendy, "If there's one thing my family adores, it's keeping tradition. Plus, the other members of my family are already too preoccupied to let us come over this year…"

K.O. felt his heart ache in pain upon hearing Dendy explain her situation. His eyes became glassy due to the tears that welled up in his eyelids and he was sporting the deepest, most saddest frown he had ever made in his life. Without any hesitation, he went over closer to Dendy to give her a tight, reassuring hug, in any hope to make her feel a smidge better in spite of her condition.

Dendy was mildly surprised from receiving such a reaction from K.O. (okay, maybe not _that _surprised, this _is_ lovable, huggable K.O. that we're talking about), but either way, she truly appreciated her friend's compassion and care as she too returned the hug as tightly and gratefully as she could muster. The hug had lasted for only four minutes, with nothing else said between the two children as the sounds of nature were the only things that they had heard.

At last, K.O. slowly pulled away from the hug to look Dendy in the eyes.

"Dendy," he began remorsefully, "I'm really sorry that had to happen to you and your family. That must be really rough for you guys…" Dendy tried to give K.O. something of a thankful smile, but her smile just looked so saddened and miniscule in the end.

"Thank you, K.O.," she sighed, "I suppose you're right that at least Mother, Father, and I will still be together...but I still can't help but be sad that we'll be missing out on our traditional dinner tonight...I guess there's always next year…"

A small tear began to trickle down Dendy's cheek, causing K.O. to feel the need to cry as well. He really hated seeing his friends be so sad. He quickly tried to retain his composure long enough to gently wipe away the tear that was racing down Dendy's cheek with a thumb.

"Ohhh, Dendy…" K.O. sighed woefully, "I wish I can help you out with your problem...m-maybe I can lend you some techmos for you and your family…" He was just about to scour through the pockets of his work vest for some cash, until Dendy gingerly stopped him in his tracks.

"K.O., please...I appreciate your assistance, but I don't feel comfortable taking hand-outs...especially from a good friend like you." Dendy explained as carefully as she could. K.O. frowned even deeper in sadness.

"B-But, Dendy...I can't stand to see you like this...you and your family _deserve_ to have a great Shucksgiving!" he moped, looking into Dendy's eyes with pure sorrow. Dendy sighed pitifully.

"I understand, K.O., and I do thank you for wanting to help...but I think we'll just simply have to have a proper Shucksgiving dinner next year then. Hopefully then, we'll have gained some more money by then."

K.O. was hit with even more despair upon hearing that. By now, he wasn't sure how to make his best friend feel any better. To hear about Dendy and her parents not being able to have a nice dinner tonight sounded utterly dreadful to him. And the idea of not being able to help out his close friend made K.O. feel somewhat-useless.

***HONK-HONK!***

The sudden honking from a car horn was enough to grab both of the kids' attention as a car was seen driving close by, with two middle-aged kappas sitting inside said vehicle. Dendy sighed and got up from the bench, her hackpack clutched in her hands.

"That's my parents…" she said glumly. She then looked at the sorry-looking K.O. with sad eyes and waved him farewell. "I'll see you around, K.O.. Goodbye."

And with that, she headed towards her parent's car and hopped in the back seat. K.O. sadly watched the car slowly drive out from the plaza parking lot, and then off into the distance. His heart was broken and his body shivered from how cold and worried he was. As far as he was concerned, K.O. felt that everyone should feel happy on Shucksgiving; it was a time for everybody to spend time with loved ones and to be thankful for what they have.

Sure, Dendy was indeed grateful to be with her parents regardless, but K.O. was still upset that Dendy wouldn't be able to have a nice dinner tonight with her family.

'_I still wish there could be something I can help her out with…_' K.O. solemnly thought to himself.

These thoughts continued to spiral around K.O.'s mind as he finally managed to get himself off the bench and then slowly walked over to the Fitness Dojo where his mom was waiting for him. It was certainly going to be a quiet ride home, that's for sure.

* * *

**A LITTLE WHILE LATER...**

* * *

K.O. watched houses and trees pass by outside of the car as Carol drove down the road leading towards his home. His expression was christened with a mixture of sadness, concern, and deep thought. He sincerely wanted to help Dendy out with her troubling predicament in any way he can, but he wasn't sure what he could do. Plus, even if he managed to whip up an idea, what would his mother think to do? It was nearing Shucksgiving evening, meaning everybody would be having dinner at home soon.

Plagued with these worrisome thoughts, K.O.'s sadness hadn't gone unnoticed by his doting and enthusiastic mother Carol as she kept driving down the lane until their house soon came into sight. She glanced back down at her son with concerned eyes.

"Peanut, is everything okay?" she asked softly, "You've hardly said anything on the way home." K.O. briefly snapped out of his thoughts and stammered out a response.

"Wh-Wh-What?" he jolted, "What's wrong?" Carol's frown deepened a bit with even more concern.

"You just seem kind of sad, sweetie? Is something the matter?" Carol beckoned again, trying to focus on both her son and the road she was on. K.O. felt himself sigh out worriedly, unsure on how to assess the situation to his mother. Although he was somewhat-nervous, he still wanted to tell the truth to Carol, like the responsible boy he should be. He took in a breath of air and looked back up at his mother forlornly.

"Well...I saw Dendy just before you picked me up and...well, she and her parents can't really afford to have Shucksgiving dinner tonight because Dendy's dad didn't get a bonus at work this year…" he explained with great worry. Carol gasped in surprise as she had arrived at the house, parking the car in the driveway.

"Oh, dear, that's terrible!" she mourned, succumbed with shock, "Ohh...I feel so sorry for them...everyone deserves to have a nice dinner for Shucksgiving night." K.O. crumpled in the passenger seat with deepest regret.

"So do I...I want to help Dendy and his family out in some way, but I ain't sure how! I don't wanna see Dendy be so sad…"

Carol gave a look of sympathy towards the troubled young hero as she turned off the ignition in the car. "Aw, I know you don't, sweetie. I'm sure you'll think up a way to try and help Dendy out. You're always such a resourceful little boy…" she goaded, trying to lift up her son's spirits.

Sadly, K.O. didn't seem so convinced. He cared for Dendy very, very much, and to see her look so down in the dumps made his heart ache and shrivel. He slumped deeper into his seat, practically collapsing in defeat.

"I'm not too sure about that _this_ time, Mother…" he corrected in an oddly-stoic and emotionless tone. His frown and his body deflated more and more into the passenger seat he sat in; he looked more like a balloon without any air than an actual human at this point.

Carol watched this display and rolled her eyes in amusement. She then got out of the car, went over to the passenger side, opened the door, and scooped up the flattened version of her son in her arms before she headed towards their home to go inside for the night. As they entered into their humble home, Carol then brought K.O. over to the family couch / bunk bed and plopped him down, with the boy still stuck in his comically-deflated state. Carol then sat down on the couch next to her depressed son.

"Now, c'mon, peanut. That's not how my son reacts to a problem like that. He wouldn't be slouching around like a bug in a rug, he'd tackle this situation to the best of his ability, determined and willing to sacrifice anything to ensure everything and every_one_ will be okay." Carol heartened, hoping to rev up some cheer and positivity back inside her son's heart once again.

K.O., meanwhile, still wasn't fully sure about that. "But, Mommy, how can I try to make sure Dendy and her family can have a great Shucksgiving when Shucksgiving is _today!?_" he exclaimed. Carol giggled and gave K.O. a soft, encouraging kiss upon his forehead.

"Then you simply try your best to find a way to bring over some cheer to Dendy. I'm certain a smart, lil' scamp like you can think up something before the day is done." Carol soothed in her most loving tone ever. K.O.'s frown scrunched up with uncertainty.

"I suppose...it's just that...w-wait a minute..." K.O. suddenly stopped himself just as soon as his mother had just said something that made the gears in his head start turning once more.

'_Bring over?_' she thought to himself, his mind still stuck in perpetual overdrive. It wasn't long until K.O. slowly began cooking up an idea that can help Dendy and her family to ensure that they can still have a great Shucksgiving dinner, regardless of the kappa family's situation.

It may sound tricky and last-minute, but if K.O. wanted to try and help Dendy with her troubles right away, he knew he had to act fast. But first, he needed to let Carol know in on his plan.

"Mommy!" he gasped out, suddenly reflating back to his original self again, "I think I might be onto something!" Carol seemed surprised and puzzled.

"Really? What's up, sport?" she coaxed. K.O. twiddled his thumbs nervously, hoping his mother would approve of his plan.

"Well...if it's not too much…" he began softly, "If it's an okay idea with you, can we...well, y'know…"

Then, as if to keep this plan a secret between him and Carol (despite that they were the only ones inside the house), he scooched up to Carol and whispered his plan softly into her ear. As soon as he quietly relayed his plan to her, K.O. stepped down in order to see what his mom's reaction would be. Carol simply looked down at K.O. with a blank-looking expression.

"'Okay idea'?" repeated Carol with a raised eyebrow. K.O. gulped and quivered, scared to think that his mom might disagree with his plan, but luckily, that fear diminished when Carol broke into a big, encouraging smile.

"Why, that's more like a '_great idea_', K.O.!" she cheered, beaming with pride, "Of course we can invite Dendy and her folks over for dinner with us! We'll ensure that they'll have the best Shucksgiving ever!"

K.O. smiled his biggest, brightest smile ever! Looks like his plan could now come into fruition after all! He bounced and danced in place with absolute joy, now ready to get this plan started right away.

"Oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-_boy!_" he squeaked excitedly. He then jumped forward and gave Carol a big, thankful hug. "Thank you, Mommy! Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you-thank-you!" Carol laughed heartily and returned the hug.

"Aww, no prob, peanut!" she chuckled, snuggling her son closer to her before they broke their embrace to get things started, "So, what do ya think we should do, hon?" she prodded, ready to put K.O.'s idea into motion.

K.O. beamed. "Well, first of all, while we get some food ready, I'll text Dendy about the news, and then I'll…" And so, K.O. and Carol soon spent the rest of the late afternoon putting together their new impromptu Shucksgiving dinner in due time.

* * *

**ONE HOUR LATER...**

* * *

"So, your little friend says we're supposed to meet him at his house then?"

"Precisely, Father...at least, that's what K.O. texted me about…"

"Hmm, certainly strange...any reason why he wanted the three of us to come over in the first place?"

"No clue, Mother. He just asked if we can come over his house for something important was all...most curious, indeed…"

As of now, Dendy, along with her parents, Pavel and Pepelina, were driving down the road in their open-topped car along the way that led through the community of Lakewood Estates, on the way to the humble abode where K.O. and his mother lived at. Earlier that day, Dendy had received a text from K.O. stating if she and her parents can come over his house for a bit. The text seemed a tad odd to Dendy, but luckily, she and her parents trusted K.O. and had all agreed to come over to see what K.O. wanted.

The afternoon slowly turned to evening, with the dusk sky now a vivid, striking mixture of orange and purple. The streetlights along the road all lit up one-by-one, fireflies flashed and crickets began chirping away in the grassy lanes, and the local neighborhood kids began running back home to spending Shucksgiving with their own respective families.

It wasn't long until the family of kappas soon neared towards their exact destination, parking their car on the side street in front of K.O. and Carol's small, one-floor house. They were all still confused about why K.O. had requested if they could come over to his house, but not wanting to be rude, they simply agreed to see what was up, especially if K.O. said that it was "important". They headed up on the porch and Pavel carefully knocked on the front door…

***KNOCK-KNOCK!***

...and then in under a minute, out came Carol, opening the door with a warm smile, welcoming the family into her home.

"Pavel! Pepelina! Dendy! So nice of you guys to come over!" she greeted with a wide smile. The kappa family smiled softly in return.

"Good evening, Carol." returned Pavel kindly, "How're things with you?" Carol shrugged.

"Ah, y'know...the usual. Making sure the plaza is safe from robots and all that junk." she replied casually. Pepelina grinned demurely.

"We can see. You and the other heroes certainly do a good job protecting the plaza." she complimented. Carol chuckled.

"Well, thanks, Pepelina. We certainly do our best." smiled Carol. Just then, a tiny cough erupted from below the parents as the youngest member of the kappa family began to speak up.

"Pardon me for interrupting." Dendy started out awkwardly, "but if I may ask, where is K.O.? I was curious to see why he had summoned us here tonight." Then, a joyful voice piped up from inside the small kitchen area of the home.

"Right here, Dendy!" K.O. called out. Sure enough, Dendy and her parents noticed K.O. bringing over some dishes of food over to a large, rectangular table, that was set up with plenty of dishes, napkins, utensils, and seats for other people to join. Plates of corn, mashed potatoes, and green beans were already presented upon the table, all freshly-cooked and ready to be eaten. The kappa family looked at the nice display and suddenly feared the worst.

"O-Oh, dear, are we interrupting your Shucksgiving dinner?" Pepelina gasped out worriedly.

"We hadn't meant to intrude." put in Pavel. Carol guffawed and gave the three an assuring grin, as not to get them all wound up and hysterical.

"Not at all. In fact, that's why we called you guys up here!" added Carol. Pavel, Pepelina, and Dendy were quite confused by the sound of that.

"You did?" the three kappas chorused in unison. Carol nodded and then gave the kappas a sad, sympathetic smile.

"Yep. K.O. told me that you guys weren't able to afford a proper Shucksgiving feast this year. I'm terribly sorry that had to happen to you folks." Pavel and Pepelina smiled appreciatively.

"Well, thanks for saying that…" sighed Pavel, still saddened, but grateful for Carol's kindness, "The company's starting to become strict when it comes to paychecks, I suppose…" Carol smiled sadly in understanding, just as K.O. then sprang up to join in on the conversation.

"So...that's why me and my Mommy came together with an idea to help you all out!" he chirped. Dendy looked at her best friend with utmost bafflement.

"How so, K.O.?" she asked. K.O. beamed even brighter than ever, a rosy blush spreading to his cheeks.

"Well...we were that...if it's okay with you guys...that if you can join us for-"

***KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!***

Suddenly, a rapid knocking came at the front door again, startling Dendy's family greatly as K.O. and Carol both gasped with joy.

"Ooh, that must be them!" squealed K.O. with glee. Carol chortled.

"Well, go on, hon. Let them in. We gotta make sure the food that everyone else brings in will be nice and ready to eat." K.O. wasted no time in abiding to his mother's request as he ran over to the door with unlimited excitement, much to the plain and utter confusion towards Dendy and her parents.

"'Everyone else'? What do you mean by that?" Pavel asked in curiosity. Just as he said that, K.O. quickly opened the front door and soon enough, three more guests then headed inside the house by complete surprise.

***CREAK!*** "Hey, guys! We too late for the party?"

Dendy, Pavel, and Pepelina all turned around and gasped in shock to see their newest guests waltz into the house, whereas K.O. and Carol greeted the familiar newcomers with open arms.

"Rad! You made it!" squealed K.O. with pure enjoyment, glad to see his friend show up, alongside with two additional arrivals as well.

Indeed, in stepped Radicles, along with his own parents, his dad Ofrang and his mom Theodosia, each carrying covered trays and plates of freshly-wrapped food in their hands. The three Planet X natives beamed happily upon their arrival, happy to see their friends again.

"Ofrang! Theodosia! Glad you were able to make it!" Carol greeted warmly, walking up to give Theodosia a welcoming, friendly hug in regards, but careful enough to not to have the alien mother drop the tray of food she was carrying. Theodosia giggled happily.

"Oh, Carol, we wouldn't miss this occasion for the world!" she tittered, her antennas buzzing with glee. Dendy and her parents looked rightfully puzzled.

"'Occasion'?" echoed Dendy, confused. Theodosia smiled down at the perplexed kappa girl.

"Your little friend, K.O., offered to us if we can join you all for a Shucksgiving dinner here tonight. He explained it to our son, and then Radicles discussed it with us...and so, we're here!" Theodosia chimed in explanation. Dendy and the rest of her kappa family were beside themselves with shock and awe.

"You're being serious?" gasped Pepelina, quaking with emotion. Radicles chuckled warmly.

"Well, of course!" he confirmed, "We even brought over some food for us to eat together!" He then held up the wrapped tray of steamed vegetables in his hands. His father, Ofrang, seemed quite giddy in particular.

"Indeedy-doody! I even made cornbread for tonight as well!" Ofrang sang out, presenting the meal in question upon a large round plate within his grasp.

Unfortunately, with Ofrang being quite literal-minded when it came to cooking dishes or making snacks, his idea of cornbread was simply baking a whole loaf of white bread and then jamming a full can of corn inside of it. Carol then mustered something of a small, nervous, but albeit kind smile in return as she gazed at the chunk of baked bread with a can of corn poking out at the top of it.

"Well...uh, thank you, Ofrang...this certainly looks, uh, interesting…" she complimented in a stilted, but friendly tone. Ofrang beamed with pride as Theodosia giggled and gave her husband a peck on the cheek.

Rad, meanwhile, felt his cheeks burn bright red with embarrassment at the scene before him. He dearly loved his parents to death, but their lack of knowledge regarding Earthly customs were quite awkward and silly, to say the least.

But before anybody else can say or do anything else, Dendy and her folks were stunned to see yet another gaggle of guests enter inside the house and into the living room.

"Room for five more?" trilled the vampiric matriarch of the group. It was then and there when K.O. absolutely _bursted_ with elation just as the scary, but sweet family soon entered into his and his mother's domain.

"ENID!" the young hero boy cheered as he saw his big sister-like friend join the group, along with her own family, her parents Bernard and Wilhelmina, and her little brothers, Icky and Boris. K.O. wasted no time in running towards Enid and jumping right into her arms, giving her a surprise hug in response to her arrival.

Enid, expecting such a reaction from her normally-lovable friend, simply returned the hug with no complaints. "Heh, how's it going, kiddo?" she greeted, patting the boy's back affectionately. Carol giggled at her son's loving antics before she warmly welcomed Enid's parents into their house, with Wilhelmina merrily giving Carol a friendly hug in salutation..

"Carol, darling! It's been too long! How've you been doing?" Wilhelmina greeted, beaming down at the single parent with glee. Her werewolf husband chuckled and idled alongside, carrying a tray of food in his front paws.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you much since Parent's Day at the bodega!" added Bernard with an especially-large smile. Carol smiled back up at the two monster-esque parents and chuckled.

"Ah, you know, workin' at the Dojo and raising a single kid kinda makes life busy, but rewarding for ya...heh-heh." Carol mused, causing Bernard and Wilhelmina to laugh along with her.

"Ain't that the truth!" chortled Bernard, "Considering we got three little bundles of joy, you can say that we're _thrice_ as busy, too!" The three parents laughed heartily amongst themselves.

"I suppose so!" admitted Carol. She then noticed the tray of wrapped food clutched in Bernard's hands, "So, what'd ya guys bring over?" Bernard grinned with pride.

"See for yourself…" he chuckled, handing the tray over to Carol. The single mother took the tray, unpeeled the saran wrap covering the tray to keep it warm, and then she gasped at what

"Ooh, a casserole? Aw, you guys shouldn't have…" she smiled appreciatively. She took in a deep breath as to sniff the casserole, but then, Carol felt her eyes water and she let out an uncontrolled cough. She then regained her composure and then took an ever closer inspection at the casserole, wincing upon seeing something baked inside the dish.

"Uhh, Bernard, no offense, but what kind of casserole is this supposed to be?" she asked carefully, "It looks like there's...cockroaches inside this casserole." Bernard chortled jovially.

"That's because those _are_ cockroaches, Carol…" beamed Bernard, "My famous homemade cockroach casserole, a recipe handed down from my own father."

Carol went bug-eyed at the sight of the meal, gazing upon bits of cockroaches cooked inside of the casserole. She almost gagged at the sight of it, but she was able to quickly keep her composure as she gave Bernard and Wilhelmina a kind, friendly smile.

"Uh, thanks, you two...this certainly looks...interesting to see the least." Carol said, trying to make her compliment sound genuine. Bernard smiled softly.

"Well, it was more or less a last-minute meal to make for tonight." said Bernard, "I haven't made that casserole in years. I just hope I ain't getting rusty with my cooking skills." Enid smiled up at her father with a stealthily-sly smile.

"Ohh, don't worry, Dad. Maybe there might be _someone_ here that would love to try some of our casserole tonight…" she mused innocently, snickering quietly to herself upon seeing Rad's face turn as pale as a ghost. The muscular alien then leaned over to whisper something towards Enid, a look of fear spread across his face.

"Enid, are you sure I have to eat that? I mean...it's got _cockroaches_ in it…" he whispered frightfully. Enid gave him a subtle, but sharp glare.

"Hey, _you_ lost that race we had, so _you _gotta pay the price." she hissed right back, "Maybe next time, don't skip leg day in favor of working on your torso and arm muscles." Radicles squeaked like a frightened mouse and he averted his gaze back down to his skinny legs; he knew he was going to regret conducting that bet soon enough.

Carol then put the casserole onto the dinner table. "Well then," she said, "I guess that only just leaves one more guest to arrive…"

Everyone in the house looked towards Carol in utter shock; there was to be yet _another_ guest coming over tonight? Even K.O. looked just as floored as his friends were.

"'One more guest?'" he echoed in confusion, "What do you mean by that, Mommy? I only texted Dendy, Rad, and Enid to bring their families over for tonight." Carol giggled excitedly.

"Yes, but while you were doing that, I decided to call up a friend of mine to join us tonight." she stated. K.O. seemed slightly confused, but still smiled in understanding.

"Ohh, okay. Who would that be then? Gertie? Gladys? Ginger?" K.O. listed off. Suddenly, the front door swung open once again, revealing the last guest to join in on tonight's Shucksgiving celebration.

"I believe that would be me." chuckled the man in deep, rumbling voice. K.O., Rad, and Enid were beyond shocked to see the large and muscular man walk inside with a large plate that had a mysterious food item covered with tin foil.

"Mr. Gar!?" squawked Enid.

"What're you doing here!?" gasped Rad. Carol chuckled and walked up to the bodega owner, giving him a quick peck on his cheek (to which Gar responded to that with a big, shy, blushing smile).

"I asked Eugene to see if he'd want to come celebrate Shucksgiving with us tonight as well." explained Carol, "Figured dinner would be more complete if we had invited him tonight, too, y'know?" The three bodega workers were still stunned with silence, until the youngest of the trio finally found his voice.

"But, what about protecting the plaza?" asked K.O. curiously, "You said that 'a hero's work is never done' and all that!" Mr. Gar chuckled warmly.

"Yes, well...maybe in fairness, even heroes should take a break once in a while. Besides, I suppose one evening of relaxation wouldn't hurt…" said Mr. Gar with a small smile. Rad raised an eyebrow.

"And the plaza?" he asked. Mr. Gar waved off his concerns.

"Ahh, I asked Gary from the bodega stockroom to keep an eye on the place for tonight, that way he can help protect the place from Boxman or whoever while I was out, you see…" he explained. The three employees were at a loss for words until Mr. Gar handed the large plate over to Carol, "Carol, put this in the oven so it won't get cold, please."

K.O. grew curious. "What is that, Mr. Gar?" he asked. Mr. Gar smiled broadly.

"Only the finishing touch to help make this dinner extra special, son." he declared proudly. Just then, just as Carol was about to put the unknown food item into the oven, she placed it on the kitchen counter and then peeled off the tin foil. Everyone gasped with surprise as the meal was soon revealed for all to see.

"Sweet Mother of Cob!" exclaimed Radicles, "That's one big turkey!"

Indeed, there sitting on the counter, sat what could possibly be one of the biggest cooked turkeys ever seen! It looked big enough to feed a small army, and it certainly looked delicious, what with its decadent size, golden crispy complexion, and its wafting and heavenly aroma. The four families salivated at the size and look of the cooked bird; now they couldn't wait to get dinner started!

However, Dendy still seemed quite perplexed and stunned, as was her parents. "So, wait...you all got together to make sure we wouldn't miss out on Shucksgiving dinner tonight?" she queried in curiosity. Radicles chuckled.

"Well, kinda..." he hummed.

"It was really more K.O.'s idea than anything." put in Enid.

"He simply asked us all to see if we can ensure that you folks would still have a great Shucksgiving this year." added Bernard. Theodosia nodded.

"It's true..." she said, "we're just sorry that you all wound up stuck in quite a predicament, and on Shucksgiving on all days, too."

"He didn't like seeing you look so sad and he really wanted to find a way to cheer you up." soothed Carol at last. K.O. smiled softly, blushing as red as an apple as he gazed over at Dendy with affection and kindness.

Dendy was overcome with shock; K.O. had really done all of this to make her feel better? Normally, she wouldn't be surprised, considering that K.O. adored helping others and making them smile, but for him to go out of his way to help her and her family our of their situation was enough to warm her heart up like the world's biggest fireplace. The fact that K.O. was able to make sure she and her family could still have a proper Shucksgiving dinner tonight made her soul sing with joy, causing a tiny, grateful smile to appear across her face.

Pavel and Pepelina, meanwhile, were just as floored as their daughter was. To be showered with a nice dinner by good friends was overwhelming...and yet wonderful and compassionate to say the least. Poor Pavel struggled greatly to find words to say about any of this.

"Everyone...this is...I mean...w-we don't know what to say!" he gasped, clearly struck with amazement at all of this happening at once. Pepelina silently agreed as she dabbed at her watery, emotion-laced eyes with a tissue. Mr. Gar chuckled as he went over to the kappas, knelt down, and placed a comforting arm upon each of their shoulders.

"Heh, no need to say anything. That's what friends and family are for." he gruffed with a tender smile. He then turned towards the other families, "Alright, everyone. Let's prep up the table and get this food warmed up. We got a Shucksgiving dinner to salvage."

And with that, everyone wasted little to no time following Mr. Gar's order as the table was soon set up with fresh food in an instant. Soon enough, Shucksgiving dinner would be a reality.

* * *

"And so, as we finish this prayer, we lastly thank the Great Corn Shepherd in the Sky for this bountiful meal and for bringing us together on this momentous night. Cob bless everyone, including our family and friends. Amen."

"Amen."

With Mr. Gar having finished leading everyone at the dinner table in a quiet prayer, it was now time for dinner to officially commence. The groups of families had wasted no time at all in prepping the table with the food that they had brought over to share. With mashed potatoes, casserole, cornbread, squash, vegetables, gravy, cranberry sauce, and a big cooked turkey presented before all of the guests in a lovely, neat spread upon the table, everyone eagerly began ready to show down at all the tempting, delicious food they had made and brought.

Soon enough, dinner was in full swing. Everyone each had a hearty and even helping of everything presented on the table, including vegetables, potatoes, and even the turkey. Some families ate some of the food they had initially made themselves, and some families even tried some food that the others brought over. General, pleasant conversation commenced between each family member. Mr. Gar and Pavel each sat at one head of the table, with Carol, K.O., Dendy, Ofrang, Theodosia and Pepelina at one side and Bernard, Wilhelmina, Radicles, Enid, Icky, and Boris on the other. Overall, everyone was having a fun, calm, and delightful time together as friends and family.

"Ooh, Ofrang! This cornbread you made is quite good!" chirped Bernard as he chowed away at some of the aforementioned meal, courtesy of Rad's dad, "The can baked inside gives it quite a robust flavor!" Wilhelmina nodded in agreement.

"Mm-hmm! We have a cousin named Hector that would simply _adore_ this dish. He's a chupacabra, you see, and well...heh-heh, you know how much goats love eating tin metal!" she tittered. Ofrang blushed and smiled softly, overcome with gratitude.

"Oh...th-thank you, both!" Ofrang stuttered out, clearly touched by the spooky family's kindness, "Not many people seem to care for my cooking. Last time I cooked for guests, they didn't seem to like the cheesesteaks I made. They kept complaining about why I put cheese slices over whole uncooked steak ribs." Bernard and Wilhelmina each smiled at Ofrang with sympathy.

"Ah, don't fret, pal." smiled Bernard, "Some people tend to be iffy about the food we make, too."

"I suppose people all just have different tastes in food is all..." mused Wilhelmina. Ofrang sighed sadly to himself, whereas Theodosia simply smiled sweetly at her husband.

"Aww, no need to be sad, honey. At least you still have one person who loves your cooking." she assured, giving her oddball husband a tender kiss upon his left cheek. Ofrang's blush grew even brighter, smiling brightly at his beloved wife.

"Aw, blorp...thank you, dear..." he cooed. Both alien parents then nuzzled their heads together, their antennas rubbing against each other in this was happening, Pavel took a bite of some cockroach-infested casserole on his plate and, as opposed to being grossed-out as expected, he responded rather positively to the dish.

"Mmm, I say, Bernard. You've outdid yourself with this casserole! It's very delectable!" complimented Pavel, savoring the meal with each bite. Pepelina nodded with smiled up at the werewolf father.

"Indeed. Normally, us kappas prefer a fly-based diet, but this is quite remarkable!" Pepelina commented, taking a bite of the meal for herself upon her own plate of food, "You must have quite the knack for cooking!" Bernard blushed modestly and chuckled.

"Ah, well, just doing whatever I can to help my lovely wife relax…" chortled Bernard humbly. Wilhelmina gave her husband a sly smile.

"Sweetie, you know I'm just as capable with cooking as you are…" she teased. Bernard chuckled.

"Of course I know, honey. But still, even you said my cooking is fantastic, you know…" he reminded playfully, booping Wilhelmina on the nose. She then giggled in response.

"Hmm, true…" she added, "You _do_ make a great omelette…" Just then, something at the table then caught her eye that made her gasp in delight, "Ohh, Radicles, sweetie, I see that you're also trying out some of our cockroach casserole, too?" Wilhelmina exclaimed in surprise.

Sure enough, Rad was seen trying out some spoonfuls of the aforementioned dish upon his plate of food. Enid smirked smugly up at Rad, whom in turn was trying to desperately swallow the meal down as best as he could.

"Oh, yeah, I insisted that Rad would taste some of the casserole…" she mused playfully, trying to hold back incoming snickers as Rad tried his best not to cringe like mad upon scarfing down another bite of their dish. Enid's parents had been completely unaware of the bet that Rad and Enid had set between themselves, so Wilhelmina and Bernard were utterly obvious to the reasoning behind Rad's trying out their food.

Enid then gave Rad a most wicked smile. "You enjoying the casserole, Rad? The texture of the cockroaches really bring out the tart flavor of the dish, y'know?"

Radicles shivered and his right eye twitched in an uncontrollable fashion, bits of moldy casserole and grounded-up cockroach stewing away uncomfortably in his mouth and stomach acids. He felt like he was ready to vomit and pass out from eating such an off-putting meal. But, upon seeing the joyous and expecting faces from Wilhelmina and Bernard, Rad _really_ didn't want to come across as rude or insulting towards them by detesting the meal that they have made.

So, he instead opted to attempt and muster up a smile in return. "Mmmm, yep. Really tart and...uh, crunchy, too...great s-stuff, you two." he complimented, his mouth still full of chewed up casserole. The hairy cockroach legs cooked inside of the dish tickled his tongue, nearly causing Rad to cough up a storm.

Wilhelmina and Bernard, meanwhile, were both delighted to see Rad enjoy their food, the both of them unaware of how he _really_ thought about their casserole. "Oh, that's just fantastic!" cooed Wilhelmina gleefully, "It's not often we have others try out our homemade meals!" Bernard chuckled in agreement alongside her.

"Heh-heh, indeed. We should have you over for dinner one day, Rad. You gotta try out my recipe for fungus fettuccine alfredo. It's to _die_ for!" enthused Bernard, a big smile spreading across his maw.

Rad felt his teeth bite down hard on another hunk of cockroach meat at the mere mention of that offer, causing the food in his mouth to give out an unsavory _crunch_ in response. Poor Rad's face paled and he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He especially didn't like how Bernard put so much emphasis on the word "die" as well.

But still, as not to be rude, he gave them another kind, albeit forced smile.

"C-Can't wait…" came his pitiful utter. Wilhelmina and Bernard giggled and gushed amongst themselves at the sound of that, causing Enid to simply shoot Rad an even more smug and haughty grin as Radicles deflated at the mess he landed himself in, finishing off his casserole with teary eyes and sickly, green-tinted cheeks.

'_Kill-me-kill-me-kill-me-kill-me-kill-me-kill-me-kill-me-kill-me…_' was the only thing that ran through Rad's mind throughout nearly the rest of dinner. Truly, he regretted making that bet with Enid, indeed.

***TING-TING-TING-TING!***

Soon, the sound of Mr. Gar clinked his fork against his glass of wine resounded around the room, causing everyone seated at the table to give the bodega owner their undivided attention. Mr. Gar cleared his throat importantly and looked at the guests with a bold, unfaltering, and warm smile.

"Everyone, as we are all gathered here together on this very special Shucksgiving night, thanks to the efforts of a certain young hero," he then slyly winked down at K.O., who simply blushed bashfully in response, "We should all give thanks to those who we truly cherish in our lives. Whether it be our family, regardless if they are biological or not, or whether it would be our close friends and allies, the fact that we are all still together, alive and safe, is nothing short of a miracle. To this, I propose we do a toast."

With that, Mr. Gar raised up his wine glass above the table, prompting everyone else to each raise up their own drink glasses to follow suit in the toast.

"To family and friends. The sole reason why we choose to be heroes: to protect the ones we truly love…" stated Mr. Gar with pride.

"To family and friends!" chimed all the guests at the table, each clinking their glasses together before they all broke out in warm laughter. However, just as they were all about to dig in their Shucksgiving feast, a soft and humble voice interrupted their actions.

"Uhh...excuse me? If we could have a quick word to say?" Pavel asked softly from his end at the table.

Everyone directed their attention back towards Pavel and his loving kappa family, with the father of the group fidgeting his fingers and looking somewhat highly-strung, but grateful as well. The buff-bodied bodega owner chuckled.

"The floor is all yours, Pavel. What's on your mind?" Mr. Gar asked. Pavel nodded in thanks.

"Uh, yes, t-thank you, Eugene…" he stammered, wrought with slight nervousness from all that had happened tonight. He looked at the guests with a small, thankful smile, "Me and my family just wanted to...well, give our blessings to you all. You've all went above and beyond to ensure that my family would have a good Shucksgiving evening tonight, and we are all well and truly grateful for everything."

His wife, Pepelina, wholeheartedly agreed. She choked back a sob and wiped away some tears in her eyes, considering how touched she was from all this. "Indeed, you made sure that our sweet little daughter would still have a great Shucksgiving to remember and we're just…*sniffle*...so very happy every one of you helped us out in our time of need…" Dendy smiled softly in silence, blushing and nodding in return.

Everyone present at the table simply gave the kappa family each a tender smile in return. "Pavel, Pepelina, it's really no problem at all." reassured Ofrang.

"Agreed, y'all deserve to have a great Shucksgiving, just as much as us or any other family in Lakewood." added Carol with a nod. Pavel's smile faltered a bit.

"I suppose...it's not terribly often that other people are usually so welcoming to kappas like us, you know..." he reminded sorrowfully. Everyone certainly understood where he was going by with this; kappas were usually falsely accused of being "monsters" by the general public, causing most members of this species to wind up in exile or, in less grim circumstances, simply living in less populated areas.

In spite of this, the guests only replied with kindness and smiles. "Well, people who are like that to you fellas are simply missing out on how kind people you really are." Carol interjected positively. Pavel and Pepelina smiled in pure appreciation.

"Thank you very much, Carol...we are truly grateful for all of this...to all of you..." Pavel thanked, filled with great admiration and respect. Pepelina quietly nodded, still overcome with teary joy. Before anyone else could say anything else, another quiet voice piped up from the table.

"Excuse me...if I may say something, if you'd please?"

Everybody directed their attention towards the young girl sitting right next to K.O., all giving her soft smiles. "What's up, Dendy?" asked Carol curiously.

Dendy coughed awkwardly and tried to not let her nervousness overwhelm her. She looked up towards the others at the table and managed to give them each a small, but kind-hearted grin.

"Well...I just also wanted to say thank you to everyone of you all for putting together this dinner for me and my parents...it's really such a nice gesture you brought to us and...well...thanks again for helping us out in our time of need..." she thanked in her softest, but most sincere tone yet. Her statement was met with warmth and fondness.

"Ah, it wasn't no problem at all, Dends...you're our friend, of course." reassured Radicles smoothly.

"We couldn't keep you and your family hangin' like this, it just wouldn't be right." added Enid reasonably. Mr. Gar nodded.

"In fairness, it's K.O. you should be thanking instead of us. It _was_ his idea to bring us here in the first place." he said logically. K.O. smiled softly, another faint blush appearing across his face. Dendy smiled sweetly.

"Indeed," she agreed, looking towards K.O. with utmost gratitude, "Thank you so much, K.O.. You really went above and beyond to make me and my family very happy." K.O. rubbed the back of his head, a shy smile adorned on his face.

"Well...I just couldn't stand seeing you and your parents being so sad...you know I don't like seeing anyone look sad, you know..." he explained timidly. Dendy giggled.

"I kind of noticed..." she mused knowingly, just as she unexpectedly gave K.O. a quick, but caring kiss upon his cheek, "But still, thanks again for being such a great friend, K.O.."

If any of you could imagine something with a bright and striking hue of red, whether it be an apple, a tomato, or whatnot, they would pale in comparison because of how bright red K.O.'s face was right now. He nearly froze on the spot, thanks to the kiss, causing everyone at the table to giggle and coo in adoration due to the scene happening before (although Rad and Enid seemed to be snickering teasingly at the display, but they were still happy for K.O. regardless). K.O. managed to gain control of his body and mind long enough to break him out of his dazed stupor, as he returned Dendy's gesture with a great, big hug.

"You're a great friend too, Dendy...happy Shucksgiving..." he whispered softly. Dendy gratefully returned the hug without hesistation, a beaming smile spreading across her own face.

"Happy Shucksgiving, K.O.. Thank you again...you truly are a kind hero to all..." she sighed out.

That made K.O. smile even brighter. At first, he wasn't sure how he could try to help Dendy out by trying to give her and her parents a good Shucksgiving, but now, with all their friends and family surrounding them at home with a delicious meal to share, K.O. knew his plan had worked out perfectly, as evident by Carol slyly giving him a proud smile and a thumbs-up right next to him.

And as for Dendy, well, let's say that she was truly lucky to have such a great friend in K.O., someone who is a watchful, kind, helpful, curious, and determined boy who would always make sure that all of his friends would be happy and free from any sadness. That was one of the many traits that K.O. harbored that made Dendy appreciate him for.

So, in the end, as everyone then continued on with their dinner, the four families all agreed that this Shucksgiving turned out to be a great success.

And to Dendy and her parents, it truly was the best Shucksgiving that they ever had in their lives, all thanks to K.O., one of Lakewood Plaza's youngest, but most friendliest and helpful heroes of all.

**THE END**

**AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS AND FELLOW READERS!**

* * *

**And there y'all have it! Always nice to get back in the swing of writing more Kendy fics. Apologies if the story seems sort-of short in a way, I was hoping to get this done before the holiday season arrived.**

**Writing this story was, indeed, quite fun! It was great trying to incorporate the main cast's families into the story, especially Dendy's and Rad's own families (with this fic being the first time I ever wrote for them). With Pavel and Pepelina's placcid nature, Wilhelmina and Bernard's spookiness, and Ofrang and Theodosia's strange behavior, it was fun writing their personalities and seeing how they may bounce off each other.**

**Anyways, aside from this story being a Thanksgiving-centric special, this story was also meant to make up for the fact that, quite honestly, I haven't really written much for Dendy for this year. With my other stories, "Highway to the Danger Zone", "Big Mind, Big Heart", and "I'll Be at the Plaza This Christmas" being stories that gave Dendy a proper chance to shine, with the last two stories also helping to develop her relationship with K.O., I hadn't really been able to try and give her another story for the time being…**

**Well, luckily, that's all going to change for 2020! :D**

**Yes, I'm happy to announce that I shall be diving into the realm of shipping once again as I present my next major project for the upcoming year: The ABC's of Kendy! Basically, this'll be a multi-chapter story focused solely on K.O. and Dendy (of course), based around their friendship and romantic relationships throughout the show's history (almost akin to SneaselXRiolu's Sweet as Candy series, which you should totally read btw). ;)**

**It'll be twenty-six chapters, each chapter based on a prompt or word starting with a single letter from the alphabet, and the stories shall be shorter than my usual stories (between 1,000 words to 3,000 words; that's the goal I'm hoping to achieve for this, b/c I **_**really**_ **need to learn to make shorter fics soon). And on par with my other stories, it'll be set in my usual headcanon, fixed within the show's continuity along with my other OK K.O. stories as well.**

**Plus, there will be fluff...lots and** _**lots**_ **of fluff. :D**

**Expect that series, along with other OK K.O. stories to follow suit, including two planned stories starring the BoxMore 'Bots and another one featuring an odd pairing of heroes within the show, Neil and Punching Judy. Anywho, hope you all enjoyed the fic and I'll see you in December when I hopefully finish up the last chapters to "Doppelgangers Among Us". And be sure to have a happy Thanksgiving out there! :D**

**~Thunderbyrd**


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